The Tribes of the Hunters
by Pebbleclaw
Summary: In a faraway land, three tribes, Forest Tribe, Boulder Tribe and Ocean Tribe, live in relative peace, until the Furlesses move in...
1. Story Guide

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~ STORY GUIDE ~

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Disclaimer

I own nothing.

**Introduction**

In a faraway land, three tribes, Forest Tribe, Boulder Tribe and Ocean Tribe, live in relative peace, until the Furlesses move in...

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_Below are some conversions to make things easier for you. Some are in the original books, some are my own._

**Measurements**

_Nose-length:_ two centimetres/one inch

_Whisker-length:_ twelve centimetres/five inches

_Tail-length:_ thirty centimetres/twelve inches

_Fox-length:_ one metre/three and a half feet

**Periods of Time**

_Heartbeat: _about a second

_Sunstep: _about an hour

_Dawn_: a day

_Quarter-moon: _a week

_Moon: _a month

_Season: _three months (summer, winter, autumn or spring)

_Season-cycle: _four seasons / a year

**Times of Day**

_Sunrise (dawn):_ when the sun rises (about 6am, depending on the season)

_Sunhalf:_ halfway between sunrise and sunhigh (about 9am)

_Sunhigh:_ when the sun is at its highest (about 12-1pm)

_Sundown:_ when the sun begins to go down (about 3-5pm)

_Sunset (dusk):_ when the sun sets (about 6pm, depending on the season)

_Moonrise:_ when the moon is in the sky (about 7-8pm, depending on the season)

_Moonhalf:_ halfway between moonrise and moonhigh (about 10pm)

_Moonhigh:_ when the moon is at its highest (about 12-1am)

_Moondown:_ when the moon begins to go down (about 3-4am)

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**All-Tribe Dictionary**

_Camp: _the assemble of dens where each Tribe is situated

_Treating:_ the process where a healer helps or treats a cat; can be the giving of herbs, the wrapping of wounds, the pulling out of thorns, etc  
example of usage: "I can't come, I'm treating." "Today you will be watching my treatings."

_Lesson: _the period of time when a teacher is teaching their novices

_Furless: _a human

_Monster: _a vehicle (sorry, couldn't find another word for monster)

_Loudbird: _a plane

_Stardream: _a dream sent from Star Tribe to a cat that is not the whisperer. These are extrememely rare.

_Starsign: _a dream or sign sent from Star Tribe to a whisperer.

_Moonfull: _the night each month that the moon is at its fullest; the Tribes come together to the Star Rock to discuss events and name cats.

_Queen: _a she-cat that is pregnant or nursing kittens

_She-cat: _female cat 6+ moons old

_Tom: _male cat 6+ moons old

_She-kit: _female cat less than 6 moons old

_Tomkit_: male cat less than 6 moons old

**Forest Tribe Dictionary**

_Preyhollow: _a shallow hole in the ground of Forest Tribe where freshly-killed prey is kept

_Wormfood: _rotting food (equivalent to crowfood)

_Mousebrain: _an idiot

_Highbranch: _what the leader of Forest Tribe sits on to address the Tribecats

(Forest Tribe cats live in dens built amongst the roots of trees)

**Boulder Tribe Dictionary**

_Preyrock: _a protrusion in the side of a boulder in Boulder Tribe where freshly-killed prey is kept

_Hawkprey: _rotting food (equivalent to crowfood)

_Birdbrain: _an idiot

_Highrock: _what the leader of Boulder Tribe sits on to address the Tribecats

(Boulder Tribe cats live in dens in the crevices of the boulders)

**Ocean Tribe Dictionary**

_Preystone:_ a large flat stone in Ocean Tribe where freshly-killed prey is kept

_Sharkbait: _rotting food (equivalent to crowfood)

_Fishbrain: _an idiot

_Highdune: _what the leader of Ocean Tribe sits on to address the Tribecats

(Ocean Tribe cats live in dens dug into the sandy dirt)

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_There has been some confusion over what the different cats do, so here it is:_

**Leader  
**_Authority: _All Tribe members must obey the leader.  
_What they do:_ Control and make decisions for the Tribe. Act as spokesperson at Moonfull.  
_How they become one:_ Must be the delegate when the previous leader dies. Star Tribe must approve.

**Delegate**  
_Authority: _Next-in-line to become leader. All Tribe members (except leader) must obey the delegate.  
_What they do:_ Sort out arguments between cats and give punishments/rewards. Assess novices when it is time for them to become hunters. Issue patrols. Attend Moonfull.  
_How they become one: _When a new leader is made, the leader must decide this cat is worthy to become the delegate. Star Tribe must approve.

**Healer**  
_Authority: _If regarding their health, all Tribe members must obey the healer.  
_What they do: _Treat sick cats, offer advice, collects herbs, and issue herbs for elders and queens. Does not hunt or fight for the Tribe. Attend Moonfull.  
_How they become one_: Must be trained as a student. After a season-cycle of training, they become a fully fledged healer. There cannot be more than two healers and/or students in a Tribe. Star Tribe must approve.

**Student**  
_Authority: _Can offer advice to other Tribemates regarding their health or body, but cannot issue herbs unless confirmed by the healer.  
_What they do:_ They are in training to become a healer and is taught by the Tribe's healer. Helps the healer with herbs, gathers herbs, fetches food and water for the healer, and watches treatings take place.  
_How they become one: _If a kitten shows an interest in treatings, s/he can choose to become a student when six moons old. Star Tribe must approve.

**Whisperer  
**_Authority: _Same as their other role (novice/hunter/senior, etc). A whisperer can be any age.  
_What they do:_ Interperet and report signs or dreams sent from Star Tribe. Being a whisperer entitles nothing special, and the cat is still a kitten/novice/hunter/senior.  
_How they become one: _When the previous whisperer dies, a cat chosen to be the new whisperer is sent a dream telling them that. Star Tribe must approve (obviously) to confirm that the cat is telling the truth.

**Teacher  
**_Authority: _All novices must obey the teachers.  
_What they do: _They teach the novices how to hunt and fight. There are two teachers per Tribe - one teaches hunting and one teaches fighting. They do not usually hunt for the Tribe (unless they have caught something during a lesson) because their time is spent teaching their novices. Attend Moonfull.  
_How they become one: _When the previous teacher for hunting/fighting dies, the leader announces which hunter she/he thinks is worthy to take their place. Star Tribe must approve.

**Hunter  
**_Authority: _None, but they do have a voice in what goes on in the Tribe.  
_What they do: _Hunt and fight for the Tribe. All hunters attend Moonfull.  
_How they become one: _When a novice is a season-cycle old, and their teachers and delegate thinks they are worthy, they become a hunter. Star Tribe must approve.

**Novice  
**_Authority: _None.  
_What they do: _They are in training to become a hunter. They listen to their teachers and learn how to hunt and fight. They also perform camp duties, such as searching the seniors for ticks, fetching fresh bedding and fetching prey for the seniors and queens. From sunhalf to sunhigh they perform camp duties, and from sunhigh to sundown they are given lessons from their teacher. Lessons with the two teachers are rotated: one day they will learn to hunt, the next will be fighting, the next will be hunting, etc.  
_How they become one: _When six moons old, all kittens (who are not becoming students) become novices. Star Tribe must approve.

**Queen  
**_Authority: _None, though they have the control over the kittens.  
_What they do: _Look after their kittens. Queens do not attend Moonfull.  
_How they become one: _She-cats which are pregnant or nursing kittens. It is forbidden to have kittens while under a season-cycle of age.

**Kitten  
**_Authority: _None, but it is forbidden to harm a kitten.  
_What they do: _Mostly they play, because they have no responsibilities. At the age of five moons, they visit the seniors and are told how the Tribe works, about Star Tribe, and stories.  
_How they become one: _All kittens are under six moons of age.

**Senior  
**_Authority: _None really, but they do have a voice in what goes on in the Tribe.  
_What they do: _Nothing much, but they tell kittens stories and teach them about the Tribe and about Star Tribe.  
_How they become one: _If a hunter or healer becomes too old or injured to hunt and fight for the Tribe, they become seniors.

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**Prey**

_Forest Tribe  
s_quirrels, sparrows, thrushes, magpies, crows, mice, voles, frogs, lizards, snakes, pheasants, rabbits, grouse, small cervids, finches

_Boulder Tribe  
_voles, pikas, rabbits, hares, snakes, lizards, eagles, falcons, ospreys, magpies, sparrows, pigeons, mice

_Ocean Tribe  
_seagulls, mussels, jellyfish, sea cucumbers, sponges, sea snails, reef fish, squid, octopi, crabs, shrimp, starfish, stingrays

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**Dens**

There are many dens within the Tribe camps. In Warriors, apprentices slept in the apprentices den, warriors slept in the warriors den, etc. But in this story, there are many more smaller dens that cats can share with kin or mates. For example each queen has her own den which she shares with her mate and kits, and novices usually den with their siblings and parents and continue to do so until they find mates. Each cat can den with whoever they want, as long as all the denmates are happy with it. Even the healer can den with anyone, however they have another den that they do not sleep in which stores the herbs. There is also a quarantine den, where contagously sick cats reside.


	2. Forest Tribe Allegiances

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Forest Tribe Allegiances

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**Leader**

Birch - _Light brown she-cat; blue eyes_

**Delegate**

Raven - _Black tom; green eyes_

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**Healer**

Sparrow - _Small brown tom; amber eyes_

_Student_ - Feather - _Light grey she-cat; blue eyes_

**Whisperer**

Honey - _Golden she-cat; green eyes_

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**Teachers**

Night (fighting) - _Black tom; blue eyes_

Wing (hunting) - _White and grey she-cat; hazel eyes_

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**Hunters**

Frost - _White she-cat; blue eyes_

Brindle - _Black and brown she-cat; green eyes_

Butterfly - _Tortoiseshell and white she-cat; hazel eyes_

Pheasant - _Dark brown tabby tom; green eyes_

Bracken - _Brown tom; blue eyes_

Berry - _Dark ginger tom; amber eyes_

Fern - _Tortoiseshell she-cat; green eyes_

Hail - _White tom; blue eyes_

Hawk - _Ginger tom; green eyes_

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**Novices**

Whisker - _Grey and white tom; blue eyes_

Poppy - _Crème she-cat; green eyes _

Rain - _Grey tom; brown eyes_

Clover - _Tortoiseshell and white she-cat; amber eyes_

Petal - _Tortoiseshell and white she-cat; blue eyes_

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**Queens**

Cinder - _Dark grey she-cat; blue eyes _(mate is Hawk)  
_Kittens - _Storm, Squirrel and Ice

**Kittens**

Storm - _Dark grey tom; green eyes  
_Squirrel - _Ginger she-cat; blue eyes  
_Ice - _Pale grey tom; blue eyes_

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**Seniors**

Daisy - _Black and white she-cat; green eyes_

Vole - _Brown tabby tom; hazel eyes_

Spots - _White and grey patched she-cat; brown eyes_

Claw - _Black tom with unusually long claws; green eyes_


	3. Boulder Tribe Allegiances

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Boulder Tribe Allegiances

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**Leader**

Holly - _Tortoiseshell she-cat; blue eyes_

**Delegate**

Rabbit - _Dusty brown tom; amber eyes_

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**Healer**

Breeze - _Grey she-cat; green eyes_

_Student_ - Speckle - _White and black she-cat; amber eyes_

**Whisperer**

Talon - _Brown tom; hazel eyes _[novice]

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**Teachers**

Pond (hunting) - _Dark grey tom; blue eyes_

Dawn (fighting) - _Ginger she-cat; hazel eyes_

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**Hunters**

Thicket - _Light tortoiseshell (grey and brown) she-cat; brown eyes_

Russet - _Light brown tabby tom; hazel eyes_

Swamp - _Grey tom; brown eyes_

Robin - _Bright ginger she-cat; green eyes_

Shadow - _Black she-cat; amber eyes_

Swallow - _Dark ginger she-cat; blue eyes_

Nettle - _Black tom; brown eyes_

Pika - _Light brown; green eyes_

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**Novices**

Talon - _Brown tom; hazel eyes_

Leaf - _Grey tabby she-cat; blue eyes_

Hare - _Brown she-cat; brown eyes_

Eagle - _Dark ginger tom; green eyes_

Falcon - _Dark brown tabby she-cat; green eyes_

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**Queens**

Thorn - _Black she-cat; hazel eyes _(mate is Swamp)_  
Kittens - _Vine, Stone and Swift

**Kittens**

Vine - _Grey she-cat; brown eyes_  
Stone - _Very dark grey tom; hazel eyes_  
Swift - _Black tom; hazel eyes_

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**Seniors**

Gorse - _Dark brown tabby tom; blue eyes_

Ginger - _Ginger she-cat; hazel eyes_

Lichen - _Grey tom; green eyes_


	4. Ocean Tribe Allegiances

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Ocean Tribe Allegiances

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**Leader**

Coral - _Pretty white and brown she-cat; blue eyes_

**Delegate**

Fish - _Silver tom; hazel eyes_

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**Healer**

Wave - _Grey tom; blue eyes_

_Student_ - Sand - _Light golden she-cat; amber eyes_

**Whisperer**

Shark - _Dull grey tom; hazel eyes_

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**Teachers**

Squid (hunting) - _Crème tom; brown eyes _

Current (fighting) - _Black she-cat; blue eyes_

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**Hunters**

Shell - _White she-cat with a pink underbelly; hazel eyes_

Osprey - _Brown tom; green eyes_

Seagull - _Silver and white tom; blue eyes_

Barnacle - _Grey she-cat; amber eyes_

Oyster - _Black tom; green eyes_

Stingray - _Dark brown tom; brown eyes_

Rock - _Black she-cat; brown eyes_

Cliff - _Dark grey tom; green eyes_

Moth - _Tabby ginger she-cat; blue eyes_

Fire - _Fiery ginger she-cat; blue eyes_

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**Novices**

Cloud- _White tom; green eyes_

Thunder - _Golden tom; blue eyes _

Pebble - _Tortoiseshell she-cat; hazel eyes_

Blossom - _Grey she-cat; brown eyes_

Amber - _Ginger she-cat; amber eyes_

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**Queens**

Fox - _Bright orange she-cat; amber eyes _(mate is Seagull)  
_Kittens - _Tawny and Snow

Pine - _Crème she-cat _(mate is Oyster)(pregnant)

**Kittens**

Tawny - _Ginger tom; amber eyes  
_Snow - _White tom; blue eyes_

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**Seniors**

Seaweed - _Dark brown tom; hazel eyes_

Willow - _Light brown she-cat; blue eyes_

Red - _Dark ginger tom; green eyes_

Owl - _Dark brown she-cat; amber eyes_


	5. Prologue

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Prologue

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In a desolate land far away from the Clans live the Tribes of the Hunters. Forest Tribe, Boulder Tribe and Ocean Tribe have lived on the Peninsula for as long as any cat can remember, watched over by their deceased ancestors, the Guardians of Star Tribe.

To the west is Forest Tribe. Their territory is a vast stretch of endless trees. They are skilled at stalking like silent shadows through the thick tangle of branches and undergrowth. Their lithe, nimble bodies can slip through the vegetation with ease, leaping at their prey, both on the ground and in the trees.

To the north is Boulder Tribe. Their territory is mostly mountainous, but along the cliff face it is bare desert. They are masters of agility, streaking across the open rocks of their terrain and catching their prey with cunning manoeuvres. They are sure-footed, and can leap with incredible ease from rock to rock.

To the east is Ocean Tribe. Their territory is thick walls of reeds and mangroves, and at the far right, a beach. They are experts in swimming, and are capable of diving into the corals to catch fish and seabirds. Their thick pelts protect them from the cold, and their keen scent helps them to seek out prey in the mangroves.

To the south is the Stonewall, a giant mountain of grey stone. The Stonewall separates the Tribes from the Outside.

Each night, the Guardians of Star Tribe come out, twinkling like shining orbs in the sky, and watch over the Tribes. When a Tribecat dies, they must climb the Stonewall and into Star Tribe. Every full moon, the Tribes must gather together at the Star Rock to share news and pay their respects to the Star Tribe.

Star Tribe chooses a cat from each Tribe to be the receiver of messages and omens. These are known as Whisperers.

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_The leaves of thunder in the rain_

_Unfortunate hunters shall be slain_

_Those without fur will come to take yours_

_And your lives will be in three paws_


	6. Chapter 1 Rain

**Chapter 1**

**Rain**

"My dear kittens," the white she-cat mewed, furiously licking her son. "Your father would be so proud."

Rain could feel the pride radiating off her. She was practically bursting with joy.

"Mum!" squealed Whisker, pushing his mother's tongue away with a tiny paw. "I think I'm clean enough!"

Frost, realizing she was getting nowhere with the grey and white tom, turned to Rain. He turned to flee but she caught hold of his tail and dragged him toward her. Pinning him down, she rasped her tongue across his fur. He squirmed and wiggled but it was futile.

Finally came the call both toms were waiting for.

"Cats of the Forest, I call you here beneath the Highbranch for a Tribe discussion!"

Rain and Whisker took off, tripping over their own paws in their haste to get to the Highbranch first.

"Tonight is Moonfull. Two kittens will be joining us at the Star Rock, Rain and Whisker," mewed the Tribe leader, Birch. "The moon is creeping high into the sky - it is time to leave."

Birch leapt down from the Highbranch and padded over to the camp tunnel. She summoned the cats to her with a sweep of her light brown tail. Raven, Sparrow, Honey, Frost, Brindle, Butterfly, Pheasant, Bracken, Berry, Fern, Hail, Hawk, Rain and Whisker joined her at the entrance to the camp.

Immediately Birch took off, the fourteen other cats streaming along behind her. Rain and Whisker had never been out of camp before. It was colder and darker out in the forest. Giant towering trees stood high, their branches reaching for the stars above, their leaves shivering ominously in the wind. Rain made an awful lot of noise as he tramped clumsily through the undergrowth, his inexperienced paws making the leaves rustle and the twigs snap.

Frost walked alongside them, her chin high with pride. "My darlings," she gushed. "Your father would be so proud of you two."

Whisker twitched his tail happily, leaping through the foliage like the happy maniac that he was. Rain snickered. _He_ was much too composed for that sort of kitten behaviour.

There was a sudden loud screech and a dark shape _whooshed_ a tail-length in front of Rain. He tumbled backwards, startled.

"Owl!" Frost shrieked. "My kittens!"

Rain could see the dark shape looming toward him again, before a heavy weight hurled him to the side. "Rain! Rain! Are you okay? Where's my Whisker?" his mother's frantic voice sounded somewhere close by. "Where's that horrid owl? Whisker!"

Frost rasped her tongue frenziedly over Rain's fur, before leaping off him and bounding over to find her other son.

As Rain was clambering to his feet, he heard an amused laugh and turned to see a dark ginger tom watching him with amber eyes. "I'm Berry," said the tom. "Your mother is quite the devoted queen, isn't she?"

"Tell me about it," Rain muttered, brushing the leaves off of him with his tail.

"Frost, it was an owl! Calm down!" Birch cried agitatedly. "We need to get to the Star Rock by moonhigh. Now if you'll stop humiliating your sons, can we please continue?"

Frost flattened her ears in embarrassment. "Yes, of course, Birch." She pushed Whisker forward with a white paw. "Come along now, Whisker."

Whisker snorted and fell back into line.

Rain hurried up behind him. "She's annoying, isn't she?" he murmured into his brother's ear.

"Aggravating," Whisker agreed.

After a while longer, they reached the gorge. The moonlight beamed down into the canyon, lighting up the dark water below. They were the part where the gorge was extremely narrow, and crossing it was simple. The break itself was a fox-length or so long, but strong boulders poking out from its side allowed a jump of but a whisker-length.

Rain was nervous, pacing from paw to paw. The other cats hopped over it with complete ease. Frost waited for the two kittens, her ears pricked anxiously. Whisker stood on the ledge, looking down. Frost was about to reach out and help him across, but with a half-hearted bunch of his legs, he was already over. She turned to Rain.

Rain was petrified, but he did not want to admit it. He could make this jump easy. Long-legged hunters could just step over it, so he could jump it. He could.

Frost raised a paw to support him. Rain didn't want to be a kitten anymore. He could do it. He leapt, and landed on all four paws a whisker-length away from the edge. Easy.

The moon has risen to its peak in the sky when they arrived. The cats emerged from the trees, into a grassy clearing. Cats were congregated around a massive grey stone under the bright beams of the moon and the stars.


	7. Chapter 2 Leaf

**Chapter 2**

**Leaf**

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Leaf had waited for this moment for six long moons, and now it was finally here. She gazed up at the Star Rock. It was shimmering pale silver in the moonlight.

The leaders, Birch of Forest Tribe, Coral of Ocean Tribe, and her own Holly of Boulder Tribe climbed expertly up onto the Star Rock.

"The moon is at its highest!" Birch announced. "All hunters and healers gather at the Star Rock so we can begin!"

Leaf's tail was twitching with excitement. She watched as the cats around her moved closer to the Rock and laid down. They flattened their ears, relaxed their tails and closed their eyes. Not wanting to stand out, she followed.

"Another moon has passed and we have been given enough prey to feed our Tribes. The forest, the boulders and the ocean remain free of danger and we are grateful each and every day. The Guardians of Star Tribe continue to watch over us. Thank you, Star Tribe."

"Thank you Star Tribe," chorused the cats.

The leaders lifted their heads again and sat up. The sound of rising paws echoed around the clearing. Leaf scrambled to her feet.

"Forest Tribe has a ceremony to attend to," Birch proclaimed. "Rain, Whisker, join me here on the Star Rock."

A small grey tom reached it first and leapt up, grabbing onto it with inexperienced claws and hoisting himself onto the smooth rock. His grey and white brother clambered up beside him, a grin plastered across his face. Both kittens looked up at their leader excitedly.

"It is time for these two to leave their kittenhood behind and become novices. Rain, do you wish to learn the ways of the Hunter, to listen to your teachers and to do your very best?" Birch asked.

"I do," claimed the grey tom.

"Lay down and allow Star Tribe to approve," Birch instructed.

Rain laid down nervously. The Star Rock flashed silver.

"Star Tribe approves. From this moment on you are a novice."

Rain licked Birch's right paw. He stood back up and turned to the cats. Forest Tribe cheered for the new novice.

"Whisker, do you wish to learn the ways of the Hunter, to listen to your teachers and to do your very best?" Birch repeated.

"I do," Whisker boasted.

"Lay down and allow Star Tribe to approve."

Whisker did as he was told and the Star Rock flashed silver once again.

"Star Tribe approves. From this moment on you are a novice."

Whisker licked Birch's right paw as Rain had done. He straightened up and sat beside his brother, looking down on his tribemates. They cheered again as the two new novices leapt down from the Star Rock and rejoined their Tribe.

"Boulder Tribe also has its own ceremony to perform," Holly mewed. "Leaf, join me here on the Star Rock."

Quivering with anticipation, Leaf jumped up onto the Star Rock. Her heart was soaring with excitement and she felt like she was about to leap out of her pelt with joy.

"It is time for this she-cat to leave her kittenhood behind and become a novice. Leaf, do you wish to learn the ways of the Hunter, to listen to your teachers and to do your very best?" Holly said the familiar words without pause.

"I do!" Leaf squealed.

"Lay down and allow Star Tribe to approve," Holly directed, flicking her tail towards the grey stone.

Leaf flopped down. Suddenly the Star Rock shone a brilliant silver and turned to ice. The freezing claws dug into her pelt, little icicles biting into her skin and prickling along her spine. Her vision turned to white, the dazzling light blinding her and making her eyes water. She wanted to scream and cry out, but somehow she managed to keep her mouth closed. After a couple of heartbeats, the ice mercifully subsided and the Star Rock resumed its natural grey. She clambered to her feet dizzily.

"Star Tribe approves. From this moment on you are a novice."

_I'm a novice! I'm a novice! I'm so happy! Happy, happy, happy! Oh wait, this is where I'm supposed to lick her paw. She's glaring at me! Okay, okay, Holly, keep your pelt on._

Leaf bent her neck and licked Holly's right forepaw respectively. She turned to her Tribe.

"Leaf! Leaf! Leaf!" they chanted.

She beamed. This was the happiest day of her life. She scuttled down from the Star Rock and hurried over to her foster mother, Robin.

Robin smiled. "Well done, my beloved." She touched noses with Leaf. "You shall be a Hunter in no time at all."

"And now for Ocean Tribe's ceremony," Coral announced. "Thunder, Amber, join me here on the Star Rock."

A golden tom and a ginger she-cat clawed their way up onto the Star Rock.

"It is time for this she-cat to leave her kittenhood behind and become a novice. Amber, do you wish to learn the ways of the Hunter, to listen to your teachers and to do your very best?" Coral mewed.

"I do," Amber said indolently.

_Well she's excited,_ Leaf thought sarcastically.

"Lay down and allow Star Tribe to approve," Coral said.

Amber did as she was told. The Star Rock flashed silver for a fourth time.

"Star Tribe approves. From this moment on you are a novice."

Amber licked her leader's paw. Her Tribe cheered. She jumped down from the Star Rock and disappeared into the crowd.

"It is time for this tom to leave his kittenhood behind and become a novice. Thunder, do you wish to learn the ways of the Hunter, to listen to your teachers and to do your very best?" Coral repeated.

"I do," Thunder said, more excited than his monotone sister. His shuffled his paws impatiently.

"Lay down and allow Star Tribe to approve." Coral flicked her tail around his paws, beckoning him to stay still long enough to lay down.

Thunder lowered himself to the stone. As it turned silver, Leaf noticed him flinch from the sudden blast of cold.

"Star Tribe approves. From this moment on you are a novice."

Thunder got up, rather dazed. He licked Coral's paw and turned to his Tribe. They cheered for him as they had done for the other four cats.

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**There are six major differences from the original Warriors in this story so far. See if you can find them all first. The person who gets the most by April gets told what the plot for the story is!**

**[hint: The names (ie. Thunder instead of Thunderpaw) are NOT one]**


	8. Chapter 3 Thunder

**Chapter 3**

**Thunder**

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"Good moooooooorning, Thunder! Good mooooooooorning, Amber!"

Thunder reached out a sleepy paw and felt soft fur. "Mmmmm?" he asked.

"Ugh, do I _have_ to get up?" mumbled an irritated sister beside him. "It's only sunhalf!"

"Only sunhalf? Everybody else has been up since sunrise!" replied the first voice.

Thunder decided to open his eyes. A crème face was a whisker-length away, its deep brown eyes looking at Amber. Amber sat with her hindlegs bunched, her eyes narrowed at the intruder.

"Whoyou?" Thunder muttered tiredly.

"I am Squid, your hunting teacher. And it's time for you novices to get up. I'm to show you the territory." The crème tom flicked Amber across her nose. Her eyes narrowed further.

"So, wash yourselves and have something to eat. I'll be waiting by the camp entrance." And with that, he was gone.

Amber grunted and rolled over. A heartbeat later she was snoring again. Thunder rolled his eyes. She would be a novice for seasons if she didn't grow up soon.

He got up, stretched each leg, and padded out of the den. He shared a den with his sister, his mother Moth, and father Stingray. The dens were dug into the ground near the beach and supported with sticks and rocks. The floor of the den was soft sand. Thunder clambered up out of the den.

He spotted his mother and father by the preystone. A smooth grey rock was shadowed by bushes which stopped the pile of freshly-killed prey from going off in the sun. Moth and Stingray were sharing a brightly coloured fish.

Thunder hurried over to them, beaming with excitement. Today was his first day as a novice!

"Good morning, Thunder," greeted Moth.

"Good morning," Thunder mewed. "Today I'm seeing the territory!"

His parents stood up. "Well we must be off," Stingray said. "Good luck."

Thunder waved them off and selected a crab from the pile. He gnawed his way through the crab, using his claws to open the shell and pull out the soft flesh.

An angry ginger blur sat down beside him and pulled a mussel toward herself. She latched onto it with her teeth and whacked it against the preystone, cracking it open and licking up the innards. Thunder watched her with bemusement.

"Got up on the wrong side of the den?" he teased.

"Oh, shut it!" Amber snapped. She grabbed another mussel and threw it against the preystone.

Thunder rolled his eyes again. She was just so _immature_. She hated responsibilities, and being a novice what not high on her list of favourite things.

The golden tom began to groom himself. He licked his paws and rubbed it over his muzzle, pulling off pieces of crab and blood. After a few minutes he had finished and bounded over to the camp entrance to find Squid.

"Thunder," he greeted, swishing his tail across Thunder's forehead. "Where is that prickly sister of yours?"

"I'm here!" came a sharp voice. Amber was hurdling over towards them, a frown etched onto her muzzle.

"Well then, let's go," Squid mewed.

They set off. Thunder had not been outside the camp before, and the new sights and smells were quite new to him. The sparse shrubs and trees thinned out until it was a long expanse of sand. The sound of rolling water greeted Thunder's curious ears.

"Is that the ocean?" he asked eagerly.

"It is."

They stepped over a last dune, and there it was. It was the biggest stretch of water Thunder had ever seen. Waves crashed onto the yellow sand, the white water staining it dark and then rushing back into the ocean.

"Seeing as we catch almost all our prey here, I should show you the reef," Squid said. "If you are not afraid to get your fur wet, that is."

Squid ran straight up to the surf and dive-bombed into it. He reappeared heartbeats later, a crème head poking above the waves. "Come on! It's not as hard as it looks! Just keep your paws moving! Once you are out a couple of fox-lengths it is really calm."

Thunder padded up to the waves and hurled himself into them. It was cold and heavy, and he dragged his paws through the water. The waves crashed over him, making him cough water up. But after a minute, he reached Squid. Something met his paws, and he clambered up onto it. They were on the reef, their paws clutching the coral a whisker-length beneath the surface.

"Come on, Amber, you can do it!" Squid shouted.

Heartbeats later a ginger shape crawled up onto the reef beside him. Her amber eyes were narrowed in anger. "Don't ever make me do that again!" she snapped. "And what is this? It's sharp!"

"It is coral," Squid mewed. "And I'm afraid you will have to do it again, seeing as most of our prey is beneath our feet. See those colourful flashes? Those are fish."

Thunder followed his gaze. Sure enough, many rainbows were dancing just whisker-lengths below him. Amber huffed.

"But you are right," Squid continued. "The coral _is_ sharp, and you have to be very careful when walking across it. Cutting your pads open really hurts and it's a long way back to Wave. There are many, many different types of prey here. Each one needs to be stalked and caught in a different way, and as a result it takes Ocean Tribe cats much longer to learn how to hunt. But we always have a plentiful food source in leafbare, so it is well worth it.

Now, when you are walking on the coral, never put your paw down straight onto it. Swim as much as you can, and when reaching for the coral, flex your claws so that you can hook them onto it first. Guide your paws to the coral, don't just step."

Thunder unsheathed his claws and ran a claw over the coral. It hooked over the polyps and helped him to move his paws across them without injury.

"Over there is Palm Island," Squid mewed, pointing with his tail to a big sandy mound peeking out of the ocean a couple dozen fox-lengths away. "Okay, let's swim back across and see the rest of the territory."

They were about to jump off the coral when Amber let out a squeal of pain. She held up her forepaw, which had a nasty rip through the pad and was leaking bright crimson. She whimpered as Squid examined it.

"We have to get you back to Wave," he sighed. "Hold onto my tail. Don't wave your paw around, you fishbrain, you'll lose more blood. And we don't want to attract the sharks."

* * *

**Geez, you people are **_**lazy**_**. I get one review and **_**no**_** answers. Thank you, Featheredwing, for being the **_**only**_** person that can get your hand to move the mouse to the review button, even if you didn't try the quiz thing. For you lazy people, these are the six major differences:**

1. They are very religious and pray to Star Tribe every Moonfull

2. All hunters and healers go to the gathering

3. Ceremonies are held at the gathering on top of the Star Rock

4. Novices do not have mentors; two teachers (one for hunting, one for fighting) teach all of the novices

5. Star Tribe must approve of cats at their ceremonies before they can become a novice/hunter/healer/delegate

6. The healer does not talk to Star Tribe, the whisperer does

**Also, on a completely unrelated but hilarious note, I found Jayfeather on the internet. XD Go to my profile to find the link.**


	9. Chapter 4 Rain

**Chapter 4**

**Rain

* * *

**

Rain padded as silently as he could through the undergrowth, making sure to keep his paws away from twigs. He stepped slowly, brushing his pads across the leaves and finding a spot between them to place each paw. He wasn't doing a very good job, he knew, but his prey wasn't exactly the brightest animal in the forest.

He could see it now, through an opening in the trees. The fat lazy thing was curled up in a ball, its chest rising and falling slowly as it dozed. Rain grinned. This would be _so_ easy.

Quietly, he crept up on the unsuspecting creature until he was two whisker-lengths away. Bunching his muscles, he pounced, landing on it and rolling it over. It woke up with a startled yowl.

"Rain, gerrof me!"

Rain laughed. His brother was lying pinned beneath him, a scowl on his grey and white face. "What do you say?" Rain teased.

"Rain is the best," Whisker muttered.

"Why, thank you," Rain mewed, stepping off his brother. "So what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be doing your camp duties?"

"I'm tired," Whisker mumbled. "And if I stay in the den, Night and Wing will get angry."

"Why are you tired?"

Whisker turned away, his ears drooping. "Nightmares," he whispered.

Rain bowed his head. "Whisker, that was four moons ago," he mewed softly. "We are safe now."

"But it was my fault, Rain!" Whisker cried. "It's my fault he died! You don't have to live with that on your conscious, knowing that you killed your own father!"

"Hush," Rain murmured, sweeping his tail across Whisker's cheek. "It wasn't your fault. He knew what he was doing."

Whisker huddled on the ground, his paws over his head.

"Come on, let's get you to Sparrow." Rain knelt down beside Whisker and nudged him, getting him to lean on his shoulder. Together they walked back to camp.

* * *

"_Please, Rain!" Whisker squealed, puffing out his fuzzy kitten fur and widening his pleading blue eyes. "It'll be fun! Nobody will ever know!"_

"_Whisker, what if something happens? We are too young to protect ourselves!" Rain protested._

"_Nothing will happen, Rain. We'll go exploring and be back in a sunstep."_

"_Fine."_

_Whisker squeaked with happiness and took off into the undergrowth. The leaves crumpled beneath his excited paws as he hurtled into the trees. Rain followed quickly, not wanting to be lost alone in the forest._

_* * *_

"_Gecko! Gecko!"_

_The grey hunter rushed into the den he shared with his mate and two sons. "Frost, what is it?"_

"_Rain and Whisker are gone!" Frost shrieked, her blue eyes glowing with terror. "They must have run off!"_

_Gecko spun around, his fur bristling with fear for the two kittens. "I'll go find them. You wait here."_

_* * *_

_After a while, Whisker slowed. "This is boring, let's go back," he mewed._

"_Finally," Rain muttered._

_Whisker was about to retort when a loud grunting noise interrupted him. The two turned, their eyes wide with panic. A fox-length away was a massive black and white creature, its lips pulled back to reveal rows of sharp teeth. It took another step forward, sniffing the two terrified tomkits._

"_W-what is it?" Whisker whispered._

_The animal snarled. It raised a paw and prepared to strike at Whisker. Whisker squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the impact._

_Suddenly there was a loud caterwaul and a grey blur appeared on top of the creature. It yowled as it tore at the creature, its claws digging red grooves into the pelt._

"_Run!" Gecko yelled. "Get back to camp!"_

_The animal spun around, its giant paws batting angrily at the cat on its back. It snapped its teeth, reaching for Gecko._

"_Run!" Gecko repeated._

_Whisker was frozen in shock. "Father!" he cried._

"_Run! Get away!"_

_Whisker was still standing there like a stunned mouse. Rain hit him across the cheek and he finally snapped out of it. "Quick, Whisker!" Rain shouted, pulling his brother along.

* * *

_

**Okay, I apologize for calling you people lazy when in fact it is Fanfiction's stupid fault for not sending out alerts about chapter two. Also sorry for the short chapter. Anyways...**

**A pika is a relation of rabbits and hares. They look like dwarf rabbits with round ears. To Hawksky, I'm not writing about the Tribe of Rushing Water. This is a completely different group of cats. They live on a faraway peninsula. On the first page of this story (which I have renamed 'Story Guide'), I have written a list of the different types of cats in the Tribes, as well as a dictionary, the list of prey, conversions and den info. For future reference, you should probably look at the dictionary, but you don't need to read the rest unless you are really confused or really bored.**

**And I've got pictures of the cats on my profile. And that link of Jayfeather I put up last chapter didn't work, so that is on my profile too, at the top of the page.**


	10. Chapter 5 Leaf

**Chapter 5**

**Leaf

* * *

**

"What is that?" Leaf asked, pointing with her tail to the strange shape on the horizon.

Pond, Talon, Hare and she were practicing their hunting skills at North Cliffs. It had been a moon since her novice ceremony and she could successfully catch mice and voles.

Pond looked over to where she was pointing. In the distance, floating in the ocean, was a white shape with a large crème-coloured pelt waving in the wind above it.

"I don't know," he mewed. "I have never seen something like that before."

"What's going on? You messed up a lizard I was hunting," complained Hare, coming up beside them.

"Hare, have you ever seen that before?" Pond mewed.

"No."

"Talon, have you?"

"No, Pond."

Pond flattened his ears. "It's coming closer," he hissed. "And there is a pink animal in it. See?"

"Yes, I see it," Leaf cried. "What is it doing with that giant pelt?"

"I don't know, but unless it comes onto land, it's Ocean Tribe's problem." Pond turned to Leaf. "Come on, it's time for your hunting assessment."

Leaf grinned. She'd been practicing for a moon, and had finally perfected the stalking and killing of her prey. "Pond, how many hunting assessments do I do?" she asked.

"Six. Firstly you have to demonstrate your ability to catch mice and voles. The next assessment is for catching pikas, rabbits and hares. The third is for lizards, the fourth is for snakes, the fifth is for magpies and sparrows, and the last one for eagles, hawks and falcons. Now, catch me three mice or voles. Hare and Talon, you may go back to camp."

"Good luck!" Hare mewed, before they both scurried off.

"I'll be watching," Pond said. He began to climb up the boulders so he could watch her from above.

_Okay, Leaf, you can do this. _She padded forward quietly, keeping to the shade of overhanging rocks. After a while, she saw movement a few fox-lengths away. It was a mouse, scavenging amongst the few scraps of grass that littered the landscape. It pricked its ears and turned to Leaf. Leaf ducked down behind a boulder.

After a couple of heartbeats she poked a head out. The mouse had its back turned, bent over and looking for food. She scampered over a few more boulders and slid in between a crevice in the rockface, watching the mouse.

Then, quick as a flash, she leapt at it, blocking off its escape route toward its burrow. Startled by the sudden noise, the mouse darted toward its burrow then realised Leaf was there. Before it could react, Leaf had pounced on it and pinned it to the ground. Within another heartbeat, it was all over for the little mouse.

Leaf carried it to a vegetated spot, her head high in triumph. She dug a shallow hole and covered the body over with soil.

A half a sunstep later Leaf had found another animal, a vole. She heard its squeaking amongst a few strands of spinifex. Looking closer, she saw its burrow, and the squeaking was coming from inside. Tiny, young squeaks. The vole had offspring with it.

Being as quiet as possible, Leaf pulled away some of the spinifex to reveal the burrow. The squeaking stopped immediately. She brushed away some of the soil from the entrance, then jumped up. She landed a nose-length forward from the entrance, using all her force to crash down on the tunnel roof. The squeaks erupted again, filled with panic and fear.

Leaf grabbed at the soil with her paws, pulling it back to reveal the frightened vole and offspring beneath. The mother tried to flee, darting out and running between Leaf's legs. But Leaf expected that, and sat.

The vole's cries died off and Leaf picked it up, along with its six pink babies. She carried them over to where she had buried the mouse.

"Well done!" Pond beamed, jumping down from a tall boulder and touching his nose to hers. "That was a remarkable burrow attack. You have passed. Now let's get these back to camp." He picked up the mouse and padded back to camp with her.

* * *

_What an exhausting day_, Leaf thought as she curled into the nest of feathers and fur she shared with her foster mother, Robin.

"Good night," she murmured.

"Good night," Robin replied.

* * *

Leaf looked up at the cat before her. It was a she-cat, her silver tabby pelt glimmering under the stars.

"Mother?" Leaf whispered, hardly daring to believe it.

The cat smiled, her fur radiating warmth and love.

"_The leaves of thunder in the rain  
_

_Unfortunate hunters shall be slain_

_Those without fur will come to take yours_

_And your lives will be in three paws._"

"Mother?" Leaf mewed softly. "What does that mean? I don't know what that means!" She tried to move, but her paws seemed glued to the rock beneath her.

The she-cat turned and padded away, disappearing amongst the rocks.

"Mother!" Leaf called. "Mother, come back!"

Leaf was about to call out again when the sound of footsteps stopped her. Heavy footsteps. Her paws miraculously responded, and she dived into a crevice between the rocks. Three giant animals ran past. They had hairless forelegs and long digits on each forepaw. Their body and hindlegs were covered in a pelt the colour of foliage. Their hindpaws were big and black. Their heads were also hairless, with a short pink snout, and a mop of wild fur on the top of their heads and around their mouths. They ran and stood on their two hinglegs, and all three carried big, shiny black sticks.

Before she could stop herself, Leaf uttered a squeal of fear. The creatures spun around, their cold eyes transfixed on her cowering figure. They spoke to each other in a strange loud growl, then one raised its stick and pointed it at Leaf.

* * *

**I've gathered together some pictures of the territory, and have also drawn a map. But the stupid internet is being stupid so it might be a while until I get them up.**


	11. Chapter 6 Thunder

**Chapter 6**

**Thunder**

* * *

Thunder ran along the beach, feeling the warm salty wind blow through his fur. He yowled out to the cats following behind him.

He skidded to a stop, sending a spray of sand around him. The five cats caught up to him and they looked out over the water. Half a dozen huge colourful animals were splashing about in the reef. They were mostly pale pink, but had multicoloured pelts around their chest and pelvis, with huge flapping fins for hindpaws and long tubes coming out of their face. The top of the tube stayed above the water as they swam.

One of the creatures poked its head up. It had a single big, foggy white eye. Suddenly it saw the cats and pulled off its face to reveal two smaller eyes and a short muzzle. It squealed to the other creatures and they too pulled off their faces and watched the cats.

"I told you!" Thunder exclaimed.

Coral frowned. "What are they?"

"They're monsters, that's what they are!" hissed Fish. "Look at that, it can remove its face!"

"Seagull," Coral said, turning to the silver tom. "We need to organise a distraction to see if they are dangerous. It is a serious problem if we are unable to hunt in the reef. Go back to camp and find the largest prey you can, then bring it back here."

Seagull turned and streaked back through the sand dunes.

Coral narrowed her eyes. "What is that?" she asked, pointing with her tail to a shape in the water. It was massive and white, and they could see more of the creatures walking around on top of it, though they did not have large foggy eyes and tubes.

"This is bizarre," mewed Cliff, a dark grey tom. "I have never before seen such odd-looking animals."

"Look out, they're attacking!" shrieked Fire. "Flee!"

Two of the creatures were clambering out of the water, their hindpaws making their movements awkward. Suddenly they reached down and ripped off their hindpaws and set them down on the sand. In their place were smaller, sturdier pink paws, and with those they ran up the beach toward the cats, yelling and waving their forelegs around.

"Mutants!" yowled Coral. "Run for your lives!"

The cats turned tail and bolted up the beach. They leapt behind some dunes and hid in the sparse vegetation sprouting behind them. The two animals climbed over the dune and looked about them. They rumbled to each other in a deep, strange language, then turned and scurried back down to the water. They pulled their flipper paws back on and swam back to the white thing.

The cats waited behind the dune until Seagull found them, carrying a large fish in his jaws. He dropped it at Coral's paws. "I hope you have a plan. This could feed two cats for a day, so I trust that it won't go to waste."

Coral looked down at the dead fish and then back toward the frolicking creatures. "On second thought, we need not use this prey. The creatures have proven themselves dangerous after chasing us up the beach. This is a grave problem we have, if we are unable to hunt in our hunting grounds. We must drive those beasts out. Come now, I need to address the Tribe."

* * *

"We have a problem!" Coral announced. "Large creatures have invaded the reef and chase us if we approach. I fear what this will do to our prey. Not only will they scare it away, but we are unable to hunt with them there. So I believe the only option we have is to attack first and drive them out. I want every hunter to come with me now so we can settle this."

Coral let out a battle caterwaul and leapt from the Highdune. The hunters joined her, their voices loud and confident. They sprinted off to the beach, fourteen in all. Thunder snuck after them, eager to see the battle. He imagined driving out one of the creatures all by himself, then the praise of his Tribemates.

"Keep out of sight," Coral ordered. The cats crept around the dunes until Coral meowed for them to stop. She poked her head up to watch the creatures when she saw Thunder blundering along in the sand. A crab had latched onto his ear and he was mewling pitifully and stumbling about.

"What is that fishbrain _doing_?" Coral hissed.

One of the creatures saw him and jumped out of the water. It pulled off its flippers and raced after the disorientated novice. Just fox-lengths away, Coral leapt out from behind the dune.

"Attack!"

The cats swarmed over the beach and rushed at the creature. They fell onto it, clawing and biting. It wailed in terror as wounds opened up along its flanks. The other creatures screamed and waved their forelegs around. Several of them ran up to help their friend.

"Retreat!"

The cats scattered as three more creatures approached, yelling. One of them threw its eye at the cats. It struck Stingray hard on the head and his paws buckled beneath him. As the cats fled, Oyster and Osprey hoisted him onto their backs and scurried away as quick as they could.

Having finally dislodged the crab, Thunder realised what was happening. He grabbed the eye in his teeth and hurried after them. As he ran, he looked back to see the creatures standing around the one they'd attacked. Blood seeped across the sand as it twitched in pain.

The cats didn't stop until they'd reached the camp.

* * *

**I'm so sorry for the incredibly long wait for this chapter. You can blame a combination of assignments, work, and my guinea pig getting sick, which has taken up all my time. But now its the holidays and I've got the itching to write. I've planned the story, and there is a major twist ;P in relation to the prophecy. Also sorry for the short chapter and the mauling of some poor kid, but he survives. And I've made a website on this story. You really should go on it, the link is at the top of my profile. It has a complete list of allegiances, along with photos and relationships. Also on it is a better story guide, a map and photos of the territories, and of course the story.**


	12. Chapter 7 Rain

**Chapter 7**

**Rain**

* * *

Rain and Whisker were by the preyhollow, sharing a squirrel. A white and grey she-cat padded up to them. The two novices looked up as she approached, dipping their heads respectfully.

"Good afternoon, Wing," meowed Rain.

"Your fighting assessment is today. I will be in the forest somewhere. As your stealth assessment, you must successfully find and ambush me. Claws sheathed. Use your agility to outmanoeuvre me and avoid getting swiped. If you do a good job, you pass."

Whisker swallowed his mouthful of squirrel. "What if we don't?" he asked nervously.

"Then you fall behind and have to do this moon of fighting again," Wing said sternly.

Whisker twitched his ears timidly. Wing stalked away.

"Don't worry," Rain murmured. "You'll do fine."

The toms finished off their squirrel with a few more hungry gulps. They picked up the remnants and padded out of camp to the dirtplace a few fox-lengths from camp. Rain dug away some of the dirt and they buried the bones and fur.

"Come on," Rain meowed as Whisker kicked the soil back over. They bounded through the undergrowth, their mouths open to detect their hunting teacher. They searched for a couple of sunsteps before they caught her scent near Pinelands. The acrid tang of the swamp wafted around them, staining their nostrils and making them wretch in disgust.

"This is gross!" Whisker hissed, pulling a paw away from the mud.

"Wait here," Rain whispered. "And keep your voice down." He hooked his claws into the trunk of the nearest tree and hoisted himself up. Slowly he scaled the smooth tree, thanking Star Tribe that he was one of the best climbers in the Tribe. Eventually he reached the top and looked out across the forest. A small white and grey speck caught his attention, moving through the eastern edge of the Pinelands.

Rain leapt down from the tree and recoiled as a spray of brown water showered over the two toms. Whisker twitched his tail in annoyance.

"Thanks so much," he said sarcastically.

"I saw Wing," Rain reported. "She's over this way, travelling north." He pointed with his tail to the east. "So if we move around to the south and travel upward, we can ambush her." He looked at the peaty mess around them. "And we roll in this, it will disguise our scent."

Whisker followed his gaze and gaped in horror. "No, Rain, no! You can't make me."

Rain pounced on his brother, pushing him into the water. "Do you want to pass or not?" he purred.

Whisker leapt out of the water, but was already covered in brown slime. Bits of half-rotten vegetation clung to his pelt. "Yuck!" he cried. "I'll never forgive you for this."

Rain ignored him and rubbed the gunk across his own fur. "Okay, let's go."

The two toms padded silently through the trees, stepping lightly to avoid the telltale _squish_ of paws against mud. Rain scaled the trees thrice more to check where she was, and as they advanced Rain's excitement mounted.

"Okay, she's just beyond those pines there," he meowed, climbing down. "You go right, I'll go left."

The Pinelands were thinning as the cats approached the Falls, leaving the murky swamp behind as they entered the light forest around the waterfall. The sound of running water met their ears, and they breathed deeply as fresh air greeted them.

They separated, Rain travelling left. He crept through the undergrowth, keeping his tail down and ears alert. He saw a white shape through the trees, and recognized the flash of amber eyes. He stalked closer, hardly daring to breathe for fear of Wing hearing him.

He was a fox-length away. Wing had stopped and she sat, looking around. He ducked behind a bush just before her gaze swept over where he was. He watched her through a gap in the thicket until he was out of her sight again. From an angle he noticed Whisker crouching behind another thicket bush a couple of fox-lengths away, watching his teacher intently. His haunches twitched anxiously as he prepared to leap.

Rain bunched his muscles and sprang, landing on Wing's back with a loud caterwaul. As she swung around to throw him off, Whisker leaped forward, batting at her nose with sheathed paws. She turned and hissed, throwing her head around in an attempt to fling Rain off her back. She lunged forward at Whisker, but remembering his agility training, he darted out of her reach, and she closed on empty air. She rolled over and hurled Rain off. Whisker jumped at her belly, but she kicked with strong hindlegs and he went flying into a gorse bush. She rounded on Rain, her eyes glinting amusedly as she pounced on the grey novice. He rolled out of her way, giving her ear a good thump before bouncing out of reach again. Whisker leapt onto her back and batted at her nose with heavy paws. She reached up to pull him off, but he jumped down and rammed her. She got up, shaking her head in defeat.

"Well done," she purred. "Although it probably helped that there were two of you."

Whisker and Rain held their heads and tails high as they accepted her proud words.

"Next moon you'll be learning to kick and strike," she meowed. "Now, let's get out of this vile place. You passed your hunting assessment, which I believe was rabbits, so you are now 3rd-moon novices. If you don't mind, could you wash yourselves at the Falls. You smell like wormfood."

Whisker and Rain hurried alongside the strong she-cat. Whisker let out a sad meow. "Tomorrow we have to clean the dirtplace," he complained.

"Yuck," Rain agreed. The day before every Moonfull, after they had finished their assessments, all the novices had to pull out any vegetation that was growing at dirtplace. Because that was where they buried their prey remains and dirt, it was heavily fertilized. They had to use large strips of bark to carry and distribute the nutrient-rich soil around the territory.

"Oh, stop whining," Wing laughed. "It's an important part of Tribe survival."

They reached the Falls and the two toms waded into the water, shivering as the cold seeped into their fur. They used their paws to scrape off the mud and vegetation that clung to their pelts. After a brisk shake, they were on their way back to camp.

Wing raised her nose to the air. "I can smell a rabbit," she meowed. "Too bad I don't know how to hunt."

Teachers specialised in their subject – hunting teachers were terrible at fighting, and fighting teachers didn't know much about hunting. After seasons of teaching novices how to fight, Wing had gradually lost her ability to hunt, and relied solely on the Tribe to feed her belly.

"I'm sure you two 3rd-mooners could catch it though," she added.

"Just watch me!" Whisker boasted, bounding forward. Rain and Wing followed silently. They both stopped at the sight before them.

"What in the name of Star Tribe?" Wing whispered, her head tilted in confusion.

A rabbit was lying in the middle of a small clearing, its pelt ripped off and its head missing, leaving a bloody red mess. Beside it was a huge set of silver jaws. Whisker padded forward cautiously.

"Whisker, stop!" Rain yowled, pushing his brother out of the way. His leap sent a twig flying into the jaws, which snapped over it with a sickening clash.

The three cats stared in horror.

"What is it?" whimpered Whisker.

Wing crept forward and sniffed at the carcass. She recoiled in shock. "It has an odd smell around it. Like how Heather's wound smelled when she was bitten by that rattlesnake."

"Maybe it's poisonous," Rain suggested.

"But what put it here? What type of creature could, or _would_, decapitate, skin and poison a rabbit, then put vicious jaws beside it to tear apart the next poor animal that wanders too close?" Wing said gravely.

"We need to get back to camp and warn the Tribe," Whisker meowed.

"But it's nearly sundown," Rain pointed out. "Half the Tribe is out hunting. Chances are someone will come across it before they hear, and they may not be as cautious as us."

"Let's bury it," Wing said. She pulled a pawful of soil over and pushed it over the carcass.

They worked for almost half a sunstep, covering the pitiful sight with soil and vegetation, until it could be neither seen nor smelt.

Just as they were finishing off, Berry and Fern walked into the clearing. "What are you doing?" Fern exclaimed when she saw them patting down the last layer of leaves. "You have a body under there?"

"Yes," Wing replied. "The body of a rabbit, which was mauled by an unknown creature and poisoned, then left as bait. There were also silver jaws, which snapped a twig clean in two. We decided to cover it over so that no cat would find it and eat it."

Berry's amber eyes opened in terror. "What would do such a thing? You must tell Birch."

"We plan to," Rain answered. "But not everyone is in camp, so a hunting cat would have found it before they knew. I guess it's a good thing we did bury it because otherwise you and Fern might have taken it back to camp."

"We need to warn them," Fern said. "Who knows how many more of these carcasses are at the preyhollow?"

Wing nodded. "You can continue hunting if you wish. We will go back now."

"Okay, we'll tell any cat we see," Fern declared. "And may we never meet the creature that did this."

* * *

**The humans have taken revenge for what happened to the boy last chapter. If you're confused, then read my website. It has everything you need to know on it =)**


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